Apparatus for casting printers&#39; rollers



July 6, 1937. -D. H DONEGAN APPARATUS FOR CASTING PRINTERS ROLLERS Filed July 15, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 6, 1937. D. H. DONEGAN 9 APPARATUS FORVCASTING PRINTER'S ROLLERS Filed July 15, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 2 2/ Mm I W m .5 5f 5 A s 21 6 .l

[0222/ 15. ja/z eya/z Patented July 6, 1937 rrs'r' OFFICE APPARATUS FOR CASTING PRINTERS ROLLERS Daniel H. Donegan, Chicago, Ill.

Application July l5, 1935, Serial No. 31,309

7 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for casting printers rollers and more particularly to a spider embodying adjustable means to align a shaft axially with a roller mold and to adapt said spider for use on roller shafts of various diameters.

Axial alignment of a roller shaft with its mold is of the utmost importance and various prior attempts to maintain it against wear have not been entirely satisfactory. One means commonly used is to fit a flange having a boss on the lower end of the shaft, disposed outside of the mould, with the boss snugly fitting into and extendin through an aligned opening in an associated removable base plate. Because of the enlarging of said opening and dowel pin holes in said plate, caused by wearing, the shaft often shifts out of center and then a. roller cast around it is worthless. Other known methods embody the use of a spider arranged to rest on a base plate, with or without a portion projecting therethrough. The latter methods are objectionable also because, although means is provided on the spider in some instances, in the form of a projection to be grasped to facilitate initial withdrawal of the cast roller from the mold after the base plate has been removed, said spider in such instances is not adapted for use on shafts of different diameters and a special spider must be provided for each size shaft, or some makeshift means, such as for example, in an instance where a shaft smaller in diameter than the bore in the spider is used it must be wrapped with paper or the like to fit said bore. This condition also is encountered when a flange is used.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a spider, or a fiangehaving a boss, with means adjustable to.snugly fit shafts of different diameters.

Another object is to provide an improved spider 40 of the character referred to with means extending beyond the bottom of the mold provided to be grasped to free rollers than stick to the molds.

The foregoing and such otherobjects of the invention as will become apparent as the de- 45 scription proceeds, will be more readily understood from a perusal of the following specifica-' tion, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical central sectional view of an apparatus for casting printers rollers, embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the apparatus showing a portion of the base plate broken away.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the apparatus, showing the. improved place.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of its bushing removed.

spider -in the spider, with ing.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged central sectional view of a mold, partly broken away, embodying one form of the invention. 7

The apparatus illustrated, in Figs. 1 and 2, is of a type commonly used to cast printers rollers and includes, generally, a substantially cylindrical water-tight shell I I, having a plurality of parallel tubular roller molds I2 mounted therein. The shell ll preferably is supported by trunnions l3 journaled in suitable bearings M to permit tilting of the shell, out of the vertical position illustrated, to facilitate insertion of roller shafts IS in the molds l2. As shown, each shaft 15 carries on its lower end a novel spider l6, of the type embodying the invention, and on its upper end a spider I! of common construction or if desired, the novel spider It may be used on both ends.

After the roller shafts and spiders are inserted in the molds a base plate I8 is secured over the lower end of the shell by clamps l9; and the apparatus is then positioned vertically. Dowel pins 2| provided on the bottom face of shell H are Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the spiderbushadapted to be received in suitable holes in the base plate to position the base plate over the end of the shell. It will be noted that the base plate l8 has an annular flange to form an enclosed space 23 between said plate and the bottom of the shell. I

While casting the rollers, hot water is admitted into the shell II through a hose connection 24, and circulates around the molds I2, heating the molds to insure a free flowing of an elastic composition of glue and glycerine from I which the roller is made. The composition is fed in a plastic state into the space 23, under pressure, through an inlet 25 and flows upwardly in the pre-warmed molds around the spiders and shafts. After the molds are filled, cold water is circulated around them to chill and ,set the composition. When the composition hasset the base plate l8 and the composition in space 23 is removed and the completed rollers ordinarilyslide out of the vertically positioned tubes by their own weight but frequently stick and means is provided on the lower spiders I6 to be grasped and pulled to loosen and impart initial movement to them. It is apparent that if a roller shaft is out of axial alignment with its mold that the completed roller will not be true, hence useless.

against the base plate.

Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that the shafts be axially aligned with the molds and securely held during the pouring and setting of the composition. 7

The novel spider I6 is designed especially to meet this exact requirement, and as illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5, includes a suitable body 26 having an axial pipe-threading opening 21 and threaded beyond collars 32 adapting them to be screwed into the bodies .26 of the spiders The threaded portions of the bushings are provided with a plurality of spaced longitudinal slits 33 to permit them to contract as screwed into the pipe-threadedbodies 2'3. Hence, upon turning a spider, relative to its bushing, said bushing is drawn tightly about the shaft. It is evident that the adjustability of the bushing 3| adapts the spider to shafts of various diameters and insures axial alignment of the shaft with the associated spider. Since the pipe tap 2'! and the periphery of the spiders webs are concentric and the spider is aligned axially with the mold l2, the shaft l5 always is in axial alignment with said mold and therefore under no circumstances can said shaft become disaligned with the finished roller. As previously noted, the spider I 6 preferably can be used on both ends of the shaft or, if desired, the spider ll, of ordinary construction, which does not have the boss or adjustable bushing, can be used on the upper end only. In instances when the shaft extends beyond the bushing, the projecting end of the shaft rests on the baseplate and the spider is moved up into the mold. 7

It is obvious, from the foregoing description, that the improved spider overcomes all-of the objectionable features encountered in the use of any of the means commonly used heretofore to effectand maintainaxial alignment of the shafts relative to their respective molds. The use of the novel spiders makes it unnecessary to. rely upon the accuracy of openings usually provided in the base plate or dowel pins 2 I, both of which frequently wear and cause disalignment. The improved spider embodies novel means to effect andmaintain axial alignment of the shaft prior to and during the casting of the roller, and permits the use of the same spiders on shafts of differentsizes. The novel spiders also provide .means to grasp to free rollers that stick to the molds.

In Fig. 6 aboss 34 is shown fitted into an aligned opening 36 in the base plate l8 and has an external flange 35 on its upper end to lie The boss .34 has, internal pipe threads .2! to receive the externally threaded tapered slit bushing 3| which is fitted ,over and drawn tightlyabout one end of the shaft l5 when screwed into said boss. The bushing 3| adapts the boss 34 to shafts of various diametersand insures axialalignment of 'the shaft which is held at its other end by spider IE or H, as in the embodimentpreviously described.

Although exemplary structures have been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be understood that the structure of the improved spider may vary from that shown and certain changes and modifications in details may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the class described including a mold and a. base plate arranged under and spaced from the lower end of the mold, means adapted to self center and hold a shaft in axial alignment with said mold, comprising, spiders, arranged one on each end of said shaft formed to fit slidingly in said mold, an axial boss oneach spider, each boss having an axial opening, and an adjustable bushing in each of said 7 openings to receive and center the shaft, the

bushing in the boss mounted on the lower end of said shaft being adapted to rest on said plate.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, including one ormore open ended molds mounted in a shell and a base plate arranged under-one end of said shell, a spider adapted to be spaced above said base plate, and extend into and slidingly engage one of said molds, a boss on-said spider, and a slit bushing mounted for adjustment in said boss adapted to receive and support the end of a shaft and axially align it with said mold.

3.In an apparatus of the class described including a plurality of molds open at each end, means adapted to hold shafts in axial alignment with the molds, said means comprising a plurality of spiders, one adapted to be carried on each end of each shaft and co-operate with their associated molds to axially align them .therein, anda slit bushingthreadingly mounted for adjustment in each spider adapted toalign the associated shafts relative to said spiders.

4. In an apparatus of the class described including a plurality of molds open at each end, means adapted to hold a shaft axially of each of said molds, said 'means comprising a plurality of spiders one adapted to be fitted on each end of each shaft and cooperate with its associated mold to axially align said spiders relative to said mold,.and meansin each spider adjustable to center the associated shaft relative thereto.

.5. Inan apparatus ofthe class described in cluding a plurality of molds open at each end,

meansadapted to hold a shaft in axial alignment in each of said molds, said means comprising a plurality of spiders one adapted to be fitted on each end of each shaft and engage the associated mold whereby saidspiders are centered therein, and a bushing having tapered threaded engagementin each spider adjustable to center the associated shaft relative thereto.

6. In an apparatus of the class described including a plurality of molds open at each end and a base plate provided with openings aligning with said molds arranged under oneend, means adapted to hold shafts in axial alignment with the molds, said means including a plurality of spiders one adapted to be carried on one end of .each shaft and co-operate with their associated molds to axially align them therein, a plurality of bosses one adapted to be carried on the other end of each shaft and fit into the respective aligned base plate openings, and a slit bushing threadingly mounted for adjustment in each spider and each boss adapted to align the associated shafts relative to said spiders and bosses.

'7. In an apparatus of the class described inboss adapted to rest on said base plate, and a slit 7 eluding one or more open ended molds mounted bushing mounted for adjustment in said boss in a shell and a base plate provided with openadapted to receive and support the end of a shaft ings aligning with said molds arranged under to axially align said end with said mold.

5 one end of said shell, a boss adapted to fit into one of said base plate openings, a flange on said a DANIEL I-I. DONEGAN. 

